The World Today Archive - Wednesday, 4 October , 2000 00:00:00

Reporter: Rafael Epstein

COMPERE: The ABC Chairman, Donald McDonald, is also on the board of the Sydney Organising Committee, and he's obviously worked closely with Michael Knight during the long run-up to the Games over these past couple of years. Donald McDonald has been speaking to Rafael Epstein.

RAFAEL EPSTEIN: Surprised?

DONALD McDONALD: Very, very. But as I reflect on it, perhaps not so surprised. I think it is a sign of the sort of toll that public life takes on people.

RAFAEL EPSTEIN: Is there an extra toll involved in being head of SOCOG?

DONALD McDONALD: Well, I think so. I think the wearing down effects of the endless criticism in the years before the Games and the highly personal nature of so much of that criticism will have taken more than even the usual toll that public life takes.

RAFAEL EPSTEIN: Do you think that he thinks it was all worth it?

DONALD McDONALD: He should think it was all worth it because it was a terrific success, and I'd be sorry for him if he didn't feel it had been worth it. But I can also understand that he may well feel that, "Well, that's the biggest thing I'm going to do in that sort of public life."

RAFAEL EPSTEIN: Did he do a good job?

DONALD McDONALD: Well, of course he did. I mean, the record's there. There's nothing to be defended about the Olympics now. I mean, if they were an unqualified success, and that success didn't come out of some vacuum, it came out of the organisation of SOCOG, it came out of the organisation of OCA, it came out of ORTA, all of the things that he was the leader of, either as President or as Minister for the Olympics.

RAFAEL EPSTEIN: What's your prevailing memory of working with him on the SOCOG Board?

DONALD McDONALD: He was a very good chairman of meetings, great attention to detail, great care in making sure that everybody round the table had had their say about things, very hard worker.

COMPERE: Donald McDonald who knows a thing about - a thing or two about chairing meetings. ABC chairman, Donald McDonald, with Rafael Epstein.